Giving away the catamarans

The Rotary Club of Chennai Kilpauk gave away catamarans to an entire village affected by the Tsunami.

 

The Village of Pudukuppam was devastated by the recent Tsunami and while no lives were lost the village suffered extensive damage. No boats or catamarans were left and the entire village was left with no means of livelihood.

 

I will not say much here since I have said a lot about the suffering and what these people are going through trying to get back on their feet. However, I would like to stress that they need help, they need people who understand what they are going through and who are willing to contribute in some way or other to these people’s rehabilitation.

 

Devaraj the village head man when he spoke at the giving away ceremony said “We live many miles away from the place where you live and many thousand miles from where this gentlemen (Tim Johnson) lives, however this distance did not separate you from us when it came to helping us. It is providence that you came here and saw what happened to us and have now come forward to provide all of us in this village with catamarans which will now give us a chance to stand on our own feet.” Devaraj could not stop the tears streaming down his cheeks.

 

Tim Johnson was given a replica of the catamarans which was made by the same carpenters who made the catamarans for the village.

 

Tim when he responded said that he wished them well and hoped that they would remain safe.

 

All villagers than impromptu shouted “thanks to Rotary” in Tamil.

 

While one phase of the process of rehabilitation is over we now need to concentrate on the rest of their problems, sanitation, education and mental health. And countless other needs which are yet to be addressed.